AIf you need a terrific professional meeting to attend, read below: This is offered on Saturday, April 10th. The 9th has been re-scheduled.
Your reading and writing assignments are listed below this description.
HVWP’s Technology Team, led by Bonnie Kaplan and Steve Masson, is offering a two-day conference on April 9th and 10th that will explore and celebrate the many ways to use digital technologies to support student writers. We are delighted that our guest speaker for the conference will be National Writing Project author and educator Troy Hicks and hope that many of you will have the opportunity to join the team and meet him.
The Mid-Hudson Teacher Center is co-sponsoring the event, so PLEASE REGISTER by April 4th at the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center website for one or both of the following sessions:
BEYOND BELLS AND WHISTLES:
A Round Table Discussion on the Philosophies and Principles Guiding our Classroom Practice
In this special evening program, TCs will have the opportunity to meet with keynote speaker Troy Hicks and members of the Technology Study Team to explore teaching and learning philosophies that can guide our use of technology in the classroom. All TCs are welcome to join in and bring something to share at the potluck dinner.
Friday, April 9. 2010 / 6:00-9:00 pm / Kenyon House, Poughkeepsie Day School, 260 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie
LEARNING AND CREATIVITY AT THE SPEED OF TECHNOLOGY:
Meeting the Needs of the 21st Century Learner
This special Saturday Seminar will feature a keynote address, Why Digital Writing Matters, by Troy Hicks, who will discuss teaching practices that hold promise as we develop new understandings of what it means to write digitally, create spaces for digital writing in our schools, and develop assessments that account for the complexities of writing in a high-tech world. Following the opening session, HVWP teachers will lead breakout workshops exploring ways they have incorporated digital writing into their work with students. Each participant will register for one of the three break-out sessions:
Cross River Poetry Exchange: “Workshopping” Across the Hudson Katelin Grande and Steven Masson
What happens to writing and the writing process when students workshop using an online wiki with students from another school? Participants will engage in a poetry writing workshop and consider the value and limits of student workshops that reach beyond classroom walls.
Collaborative writing in ALL CONTENT AREAS:
Using Digital Writing to Enhance and Accelerate Learning Laura Graceffa and Janine Guadagno
Collaboration is central to learning in all classrooms the nature of scientific inquiry. In this workshop, we will investigate how digital writing can connect a learning community, engaging all of its members as authors, editors, and audience, in order to develop shared, high-level understandings.
Moving Students from WritERS to Composers:
A Look at a 21st Century Digital Writing Class
Jennifer Ahearn, Monroe Woodbury Middle School
Participants will examine the work of elementary students in order to consider the impact of technology, audience and publication on writers and writing. We will read student writing and discuss how it changes when published in multimedia formats.
April 10, 2010 / 8:45 am – 12:00 pm / Ulster BOCES Conference Center, 175 Route 32 North, New Paltz, NY
Assignments for April 12th:
Reading:
1.) Finish the text, The Competent Classroom
2.) Read The New Teacher Book, pp.93 -105
Writing:
Profile Draft 1 and Professional Meeting Write-up due on April 12th – S/U
Please refer to the models of each assignment that I passed out in class. Recall that we read these aloud and discussed them. They will be helpful as you write.
I have the profile model as a digital file, and it was distributed as hard copy.
The other (professional meeting write up) was distributed (Hudson Valley Writing Project's Saturday Seminar).
The profile I have copied below:
Profile: High School French So far I have been observing three high school French classes at John Jay High School. Two of these classes are composed of freshmen who know very basic French vocabulary (which most students probably learned in the later part of middle school), and the third class is comprised of sophomores. The differences between the freshman and sophomore classes are highly discernible. The freshmen classes are generally quieter and tend to not willingly participate, while the sophomore class is very extroverted and noisy; this is most likely a result of the fact that the sophomore class is more acquainted with the professor and has more knowledge of the French vocabulary.
Mme. Stacchini, the French teacher, makes a welcoming environment for the French students. There are a few dozen posters all over the classroom depicting French monuments, French maps, and French quotes. When you enter the room, it feels like you’ve entered a little part of France. The two freshman classes follow the exact same routine; it seems to me that in these classes learning vocabulary is the primary focus. Mme. Stacchini often goes over vocabulary lists (at the present time they are learning adjectives), and has them repeat what she says in order to learn the correct pronunciation. For example,
T: Maintenant, on va étudier les adjectives! Répétez, S’il vous plait : facile
S : Facile
T : Difficile
S : Difficile etc.
In the sophomore class however, instead of repeating the word in French, the students are more likely to have to respond with the English equivalent of the French word. There is a lot of emphasis put on direct instruction in Mme Stacchini’s classroom, as of yet there has not been any group work or social activities. Mme. Stacchini is constantly checking the students for their progress with class work, she often asks, “Quelqu’un a des questions?” or “Vous comprenez?” to make sure that the students are understanding and keeping up with her. The overall recurring routine can seem boring at times, especially when there is rarely any work that can be put into context with the students’ lives, but it is also necessary in order to instill the vocabulary and grammar into the students’ minds.
There doesn’t seem to be any “moving beyond the textbook” as it is talked about on page 87 of The New Teacher Book, but this observation may be inaccurate given that I only observe the classes on Mondays. There might be some creativity involved in the middle of the week and I can say that as a former high school french student myself, I would want some variation in the material being taught. After observing this teacher and her students so far, I can conclude a number of things about secondary students. First and foremost, I have noticed that engaging and maintaining the students’ interests is a must for the whole dynamics of a classroom setting to sail smoothly. If students are not remotely interested in or involved with the material being presented, they are likely to get distracted in numerous ways whether it be socializing, doodling, napping…etc.
Another important characteristic of secondary students that I have observed is that, in general, a teacher’s attitude and level of motivation tends to transfer on to the students. I noticed on my first day of observation that Mme. Stacchini had kind of a “blah” attitude, as a result the class seemed to drag on slowly and very few students participated voluntarily. Today, on the other hand, the teacher appeared to be more enthusiastic and I noticed that there were way more hands up in the air. This observation may or may not be valid but I think that as a general rule of thumb teachers should encourage in their students a desire to learn and a desire to be in the classroom.
AIf you need a terrific professional meeting to attend, read below: This is offered on Saturday, April 10th. The 9th has been re-scheduled.
Your reading and writing assignments are listed below this description.
HVWP’s Technology Team, led by Bonnie Kaplan and Steve Masson, is offering a two-day conference on April 9th and 10th that will explore and celebrate the many ways to use digital technologies to support student writers. We are delighted that our guest speaker for the conference will be National Writing Project author and educator Troy Hicks and hope that many of you will have the opportunity to join the team and meet him.
The Mid-Hudson Teacher Center is co-sponsoring the event, so PLEASE REGISTER by April 4th at the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center website for one or both of the following sessions:
BEYOND BELLS AND WHISTLES:
A Round Table Discussion on the Philosophies and Principles Guiding our Classroom Practice
In this special evening program, TCs will have the opportunity to meet with keynote speaker Troy Hicks and members of the Technology Study Team to explore teaching and learning philosophies that can guide our use of technology in the classroom. All TCs are welcome to join in and bring something to share at the potluck dinner.
Friday, April 9. 2010 / 6:00-9:00 pm / Kenyon House, Poughkeepsie Day School, 260 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie
LEARNING AND CREATIVITY AT THE SPEED OF TECHNOLOGY:
Meeting the Needs of the 21st Century Learner
This special Saturday Seminar will feature a keynote address, Why Digital Writing Matters, by Troy Hicks, who will discuss teaching practices that hold promise as we develop new understandings of what it means to write digitally, create spaces for digital writing in our schools, and develop assessments that account for the complexities of writing in a high-tech world. Following the opening session, HVWP teachers will lead breakout workshops exploring ways they have incorporated digital writing into their work with students. Each participant will register for one of the three break-out sessions:
Cross River Poetry Exchange: “Workshopping” Across the Hudson Katelin Grande and Steven Masson
What happens to writing and the writing process when students workshop using an online wiki with students from another school? Participants will engage in a poetry writing workshop and consider the value and limits of student workshops that reach beyond classroom walls.
Collaborative writing in ALL CONTENT AREAS:
Using Digital Writing to Enhance and Accelerate Learning Laura Graceffa and Janine Guadagno
Collaboration is central to learning in all classrooms the nature of scientific inquiry. In this workshop, we will investigate how digital writing can connect a learning community, engaging all of its members as authors, editors, and audience, in order to develop shared, high-level understandings.
Moving Students from WritERS to Composers:
A Look at a 21st Century Digital Writing Class
Jennifer Ahearn, Monroe Woodbury Middle School
Participants will examine the work of elementary students in order to consider the impact of technology, audience and publication on writers and writing. We will read student writing and discuss how it changes when published in multimedia formats.
April 10, 2010 / 8:45 am – 12:00 pm / Ulster BOCES Conference Center, 175 Route 32 North, New Paltz, NY
Assignments for April 12th:
Reading:
1.) Finish the text, The Competent Classroom
2.) Read The New Teacher Book, pp.93 -105
Writing:
Profile Draft 1 and Professional Meeting Write-up due on April 12th – S/U
Please refer to the models of each assignment that I passed out in class. Recall that we read these aloud and discussed them. They will be helpful as you write.
I have the profile model as a digital file, and it was distributed as hard copy.
The other (professional meeting write up) was distributed (Hudson Valley Writing Project's Saturday Seminar).
The profile I have copied below:
Profile: High School French
So far I have been observing three high school French classes at John Jay High School. Two of these classes are composed of freshmen who know very basic French vocabulary (which most students probably learned in the later part of middle school), and the third class is comprised of sophomores. The differences between the freshman and sophomore classes are highly discernible. The freshmen classes are generally quieter and tend to not willingly participate, while the sophomore class is very extroverted and noisy; this is most likely a result of the fact that the sophomore class is more acquainted with the professor and has more knowledge of the French vocabulary.
Mme. Stacchini, the French teacher, makes a welcoming environment for the French students. There are a few dozen posters all over the classroom depicting French monuments, French maps, and French quotes. When you enter the room, it feels like you’ve entered a little part of France. The two freshman classes follow the exact same routine; it seems to me that in these classes learning vocabulary is the primary focus. Mme. Stacchini often goes over vocabulary lists (at the present time they are learning adjectives), and has them repeat what she says in order to learn the correct pronunciation. For example,
T: Maintenant, on va étudier les adjectives! Répétez, S’il vous plait : facile
S : Facile
T : Difficile
S : Difficile etc.
In the sophomore class however, instead of repeating the word in French, the students are more likely to have to respond with the English equivalent of the French word. There is a lot of emphasis put on direct instruction in Mme Stacchini’s classroom, as of yet there has not been any group work or social activities. Mme. Stacchini is constantly checking the students for their progress with class work, she often asks, “Quelqu’un a des questions?” or “Vous comprenez?” to make sure that the students are understanding and keeping up with her. The overall recurring routine can seem boring at times, especially when there is rarely any work that can be put into context with the students’ lives, but it is also necessary in order to instill the vocabulary and grammar into the students’ minds.
There doesn’t seem to be any “moving beyond the textbook” as it is talked about on page 87 of The New Teacher Book, but this observation may be inaccurate given that I only observe the classes on Mondays. There might be some creativity involved in the middle of the week and I can say that as a former high school french student myself, I would want some variation in the material being taught. After observing this teacher and her students so far, I can conclude a number of things about secondary students. First and foremost, I have noticed that engaging and maintaining the students’ interests is a must for the whole dynamics of a classroom setting to sail smoothly. If students are not remotely interested in or involved with the material being presented, they are likely to get distracted in numerous ways whether it be socializing, doodling, napping…etc.
Another important characteristic of secondary students that I have observed is that, in general, a teacher’s attitude and level of motivation tends to transfer on to the students. I noticed on my first day of observation that Mme. Stacchini had kind of a “blah” attitude, as a result the class seemed to drag on slowly and very few students participated voluntarily. Today, on the other hand, the teacher appeared to be more enthusiastic and I noticed that there were way more hands up in the air. This observation may or may not be valid but I think that as a general rule of thumb teachers should encourage in their students a desire to learn and a desire to be in the classroom.